The present invention relates to athletic training equipment and more particularly to an improved tennis training device.
Various devices have been proposed for helping a beginning player to position the racket in the proper manner. Three such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,693,973; 3,858,881 and 4,150,821. The training device of U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,973 is a totally inflexible, splint-like device that most novices would find very difficult to use. The training device of U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,881 is less restrictive than the training device of the previous patent but its effectiveness is doubted. The training device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,821 is primarily for preventing tennis elbow and the stated objective of properly holding the tennis racket is secondary.
The training device of U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,881 comprises an elastic cord that is looped around the racket handle and extends from that point to a ring on a known type of adjustable compression band that is worn on the player's forearm. The connection with the racket handle is not sufficiently positive to offer any real support in maintaining the proper positioning of the racket and the forearm band can slip or shift position. If the band is pulled so tight that it cannot shift, and will probably cut off circulation in the player's arm.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,821, the training device operates to reduce the likelihood of developing tennis elbow. This training device is comprised of a totally flexible strap that extends from a fitting on the head of the players racket to a member engaging the players wrist. The fitting is attached to the racket head at approximately its widest transverse point. The connecting strap is an aid in establishing the desired angular relationship between the player's wrist and the longitudinal axis of the racket. At the same time, the connecting strap minimizes the possibility of stretching or overextending the extensor muscles of the players forearm which stretching frequently leads to the injury known as tennis elbow.